If You Travel Part-Time, Are You Actually Traveling?
A few weeks ago, I came across an article where the author spoke about how most travel blogs are written by people who are sitting at home — or in a 9 to 5 job — writing about travel, but not actually traveling.
After reading the post, I felt compelled to give my two cents about how I don’t see that as being the norm with most popular travel blogs. In fact, readers mentioned in response to our recent post (Do you have to quit your job to travel the world?) that it’s refreshing to see a travel blogger who is not a permanent nomad because it seems the common theme is for travel bloggers to inspire others to quit their job or take a career break.
I’m not saying that ALL the popular blogs are written by people who are constantly on the move. People like Camels and Chocolate, Budget Travel Adventures, The Jungle Princess, and No Vacation Required (just to name a few) are all travel blogs we follow regularly who are not permanent nomads and enjoy having a home base.
However, it seems a good percentage of the more well-known travel blogs are written by long-term travelers with no real home base — which would make sense. If you are traveling full-time, why not write a travel blog?
I got into a discussion with this blogger about whether or not part-time travelers are actually traveling. He says no, I say yes. I think they are actually traveling, just not as often as those without a place to call home.
I personally feel more connected to travel bloggers who have a home base — those people who find ways to balance travel with the other aspects of life. I feel like a part-time traveler’s tips resonate more with my lifestyle since they are usually geared towards making the most out of vacation time.
So I open up the discussion to you. Do you think people who take shorter trips and have a home base are not actually traveling?
And…
Would you feel less inclined to follow a blogger just because they are not long-term travelers?
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Just an aside:
I’ve just done a lot of short-burst intense travelling. For the nature of the trips I take, I pretty much don’t have the time or opportunity to blog at the time! I try, but it’s rarely anything more than daily ‘I did this’ entries. For the more ‘meaty’ blog posts, I find I generally only have time to write them when I get back home and can process them, fond decent images, etc.
I’m the same exact way. I need time to process the experience before I can edit photos and write about it anyway. Plus, I want to enjoy my travels instead of worrying about working while I’m away.
I am not a long-term traveler, and I am only to take trips up to a month at a time presently, but I totally consider myself a traveler!
It’s interesting to see your readers’ perspectives on this and that so many are jumping in to defend part-time travellers. Although you’d never know it from reading most travel blogs these days, travelling part-time IS the norm–and that’s okay!
I’d speculate that the majority of travel bloggers would never call out a part-time traveller as not being a true traveller, and frankly, I have very little respect for anyone that does; it’s just snobbery, plain and simple. Anyone who’s had to work for their travels–and by work I don’t mean slogging through their teenage years to wait for their trust fund to kick in–would never disparage someone for seeing the world in a way that suits their own lifestyle.
I have to disagree with the article, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to consider myself a traveler.
With a wife, a home, and two children I’m not quitting my job anytime soon. It is here to stay unless my blog starts making millions.
Having a normal life makes traveling even sweeter for me. I think that there would come a point after nomading my way through life that it would get old. (Maybe after 10 years) I look forward to ever trip and enjoy traveling this way, plus I don’t have a way around it.
Travel is travel, period. Besides – quality can sometimes be more important that quantity!
I’m starting my research into independent travel, and looking to learn more from people who travel short-term. I have the travel bug, but I also really enjoy living a settled life, where I can do the work I love and I’m surrounded by my family and friends!
I’ve been traveling since I was in diapers, been an expat too, but have never done an RTW. If someone thinks that’s not *actually* traveling – well, I think they might be forgetting what travel is all about… and it’s certainly not a competition. Kudos to everyone who gets away as much as they can!
I was kind of a weird case when I first started travel blogging. I had a home base, but as an expat in a foreign country. Now that I am back in the US, I only travel part time but I take it seriously.